First of all, I am sorry. I don’t know how I missed it, but Autodesk is providing free 3 year licenses for schools. ¿I thought it was only for the students? I know it is only a 3 year license and then it is hard to go back to anything else, but it is still a free 3 year license to get your program off the ground. And I am a bit biased, Maya is the only option. ~Cornell

Manage Software Licenses

Autodesk offers 3-year educational licenses through the Academic Resource Center. License requests are managed for one institution at a time below. To request licenses for multiple schools or institutions, add more institutions to your ARC account or click My Institutions to switch to a different institution. If you do not have administrative access to computers for installation, add a contact to manage download and installation. << HERE >>>

The Education Master Suite 2015 educational license includes all of the software titles below:

Hmmm, the worlds first 3d printed car? The first thing I think is, the 3d printer has revolutionized prototyping, it is true. It puts prototyping in the hands of the ‘garage designers / inventors’ a total Game changer. And now, large-scale printing houses and cars? So Cool!!! Now will we ever get to the point where this is practical for actual product production – meaning economical option? I have seen 3d printed bikes and they were very delicate and not great for actual use. For prototyping, we are there, but for production we have a ways to go. Either way, new uses for 3d printers are reveled everyday and the direction we are going is just awesome!!! ~Cornell

(CNN) -- It seats two people, has a sleek retractable roof and runs on electric power. And its body can be 3D printed in a single piece.

Meet the Strati, the concept vehicle that was selected from more than 200 entries as the winner of the 3D Printed Car Design Challenge -- back in mid-April, US-based company Local Motors invited designers from around the world to submit their concepts for a car that can be manufactured using 3D printing.

Developed by Italian designer Michele Anoe, the Strati will now < < MORE > >

Autodesk University puts on some great workshops! As we are always looking for cross-curricular projects, watch “3D Math for Artists” by Ryan Trowbridge, it may give you a few ideas. It also my be a way to push your higher end students. It also will help them get a basic understanding on programming with Maya. ~Cornell

Ryan Trowbridge - 3D Math for ArtistsThe focus of this class is to teach artists what vectors are, how to manipulate them, and utilize 3d math within their python scripts. This class will cover the following:

- how simple it is to add, subtract and use multiplication to manipulate vectors - describe how vectors are the basis for a matrix and how a matrix is less complex than it first appears. - How Python can access the Maya API math classes MVector and MMatrix - how these included classes make doing matrix multiplication easier and how it closely relates to doing vector math.

Hopefully with a handful of knowledge building blocks and several example Maya files, after taking this Master Class, artists will find it easier to dig into 3D Math.

NanoScience Simulation? What the heck is that? And how are they using 3d animation? I am always looking for cutting edge real-world uses of Autodesk Maya and I came across an article about 3D Visualization of Nanostructured Surfaces and Bacterial Attachment. I spent a couple hours reading about it; nanoscience is wild and how Maya is being used for scientific simulation is very cool. Check this out . . . ~Cornell

“We ( Boshkovikj, Fluke, Crawford & Ivanova) present a novel approach for the 3D visualization of bacterial interactions with nano-structured surfaces using the software package Autodesk Maya. Our approach comprises a semi-automated stage, where actual surface topographic parameters, obtained using an atomic force microscope, are imported into Maya via a custom Python script, followed by a ‘creative stage’, where the bacterial cells and their interactions with the surfaces are visualized using available experimental data. The ‘Dynamics’ and ‘nDynamics’ capabilities of the Maya software allowed the construction and visualization of plausible interaction scenarios.” ~ Scientific Reports

One of the main research tasks of the Visualization Lab is to use software similar to that used to create animated special effects in Hollywood productions, including Autodesk Maya. Data is pulled from various sources to create three-dimensional visualizations communicating complex nano-scale concepts. More importantly, we investigate how animation and graphic design principles in general can improve and further advance the research, inform discovery, and enhance communication processes. The research and productions are driven by the passion for visual storytelling that is combining accuracy in science and aesthetics in art. The animated work mainly covers modeling of cellular processes and material/surface analyses.

“But to be truly effective, we must start much earlier. What we really need is a much broader humanistic education for scientists (and nonscientists), beginning in K–12 education and continuing through the undergraduate/graduate and professional years. It is through the study of art, music, literature, history and other humanities and social sciences that we gain a greater understanding of the human condition than biological or physical science alone can provide.” ~ David J. Skorton is president of Cornell University

If you read the comments below the article, it is definitely a controversial topic. In my opinion, one could say that the Renaissance was the most innovative epoch, and this is a period in history when the arts truly blend with the sciences . To me, the sciences are to driven by rules that are not to be broken, but one must sometimes look past them, break, or bend them to find new original thought and ideas. I want to clarify, that the sciences are equally important; the more knowledge one has to work with, the more diverse one thoughts can be . . .

About a year ago, I went to the Denver Art Museum’s Blink show an saw one of the coolest interactive artworks I have ever seen. It was a projection that looked at you shadow and analyzed it for closed loops. For example, if you made the OK symbol with your fingers, it would turn the shape between your fingers into a surface and fall to the ground making a crashing sound. The larger the surface the deeper the sound. It was awesome!!!

Some of the work was done by Golan Levin. Check out his TED talk. ~Cornell

Creativity and design has always been a huge part of my life, it has been infused in the way I think, live, parent, and teach, so it is difficult to separate it from my instruction. My classroom is a 'studio' and more than just physical space, it is a way of thinking, it is a process, it is an atmosphere, it is what I call a “Creative Epicenter”.

I am a 3d designer and sculptor and have eight years of industry related experience; independent contractor for various firms, five years in the public art industry- lead designer, and founder and head artist at Specular Studios LLC.

I have sixteen years experience working with k-12 and post-secondary students; eleven of those years my emphasis has been teaching creative work flows, the design process, 3d design, and visualization. Additionally, I spent two years as District Technology Coordinator and curriculum trainer in NY. Over the last 12 years, I have developed two design program models, a new high school model, Digital-Evolutions and a middle school version TEAM-C in Denver Public schools.

Currently, I am teaching: 3D Design and Animation, Advanced 3D Design and Animation, Digital Portfolio I and II, Computer Graphics, MYP Design Technology, and IB Digital Arts. The backbone that drives these courses is teaching the creative and design process, in which I emphasis that 70% of the student's effort is the development the idea.